Complex integrated circuits are commonly attached and wired to connector boards that contain peripheral patterns of connector pads for solder connection to associated circuitry at connection sites that are disposed in common connection patterns. Substantially simultaneous soldering of all connector pads can be accomplished by positioning a miniature solder ball of about 0.030" diameter dimension on each pad for subsequent wetting and solder attachment to an associated connection site. Where several hundred such connector pads are involved, delivering solder balls to each connector pad is laborious and fraught with potential for defects at connector pads to which solder balls were not delivered.
A master template having surface recesses disposed in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of connector pads on the connector board is commonly used to assemble a plurality of solder balls for simultaneous delivery onto the connector pads. These master templates with associated surface recesses are known to `sift` a plurality of solder balls into the surface recesses for subsequent transfer or delivery to the connector pads. However, where multiple types of integrated circuit types are to be packaged, each having different peripheral patterns of connector pads on the associated connector board, substantial expense is incurred to prepare such a master template for each pattern in which solder balls are to be delivered. In addition, an inventory of master templates must be maintained for reconfiguring automated fabrication equipment with a selected master template corresponding to the pattern of connector pads associated with a selected type of integrated circuit. Machine down time during reconfiguration and re-aligning of master templates with jigs for holding the different types of connector boards all contribute to lost production and associated expenses.